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Francesco Crespino
Francesco Crespino (1984-) was Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013 (succeeding Gabriele Tedeschi and preceding Mario Federici) and from 2033 to 2034 (succeeding Franco Alieri and preceding Luigi Galeante). He had the odd distinction of serving as Prime Minister for the Democratic Party of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leaving his own party for M5S in 2022, and becoming Prime Minister with M5S in 2033, 20 years after his first premiership ended. His second premiership was gloomy, as the country was engulfed in an economic and political crisis as the country plunged into a deep depression and the rightist-dominated Chamber of Deputies refused to enact additional taxes. Crespino was narrowly re-elected, but he decided that his next term would be his last, and he was forced to adopt unpopular austerity measures which began to turn the economy around by the time that he left office. Biography Francesco Crespino was born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy in 1984, and he worked as a journalist before entering politics with the Democratic Party of Italy. In 2009, he was elected to Parliament as a PD deputy, and he rose in the party ranks until, in 2011, he was selected as party leader after the term-limited Prime Minister Gabriele Tedeschi was forced to step down as PD leader and Prime Minister. Crespino, now the leader of the popular PD party, was confirmed as Prime Minister in a vote of 24-15, defeating Lega Nord leader Liliana Sottini. He had the nominal support of the PD, M5S, and the Italian Left. Premiership Crespino inherited a party which was presiding over a country with a slightly declining economy and over a party with declining fundraising revenue. The Chamber of Deputies voted 37-0 to approve an ambulance service, voted 29-3 to approve universal healthcare, voted 27-5 to approve a public smoking ban, voted 15-14 to approve an income tax to help the economy recover, failed in its opposition to a child benefit program which passed 28-7, voted 18-16 to approve a land tax, and defeated a housing tax bill 20-15. In the late 2012 election, the PD dropped to 27.54% of the vote and 11 seats, LN rose to 23.21% and 9 seats, M5S dropped to 17.09% and 7 seats, FI dropped to 16.11% and 7 seats, and SI rose to 16.05% and 6 seats. In a vote of 20-17, Crespino was re-elected Prime Minister. The Chamber then voted 21-13 to legalize gambling, voted 23-12 to legalize press freedom (although, since it lacked a majority, it failed to pass), failed to abolish prime ministerial term limits in a vote of 15-15, and aproved a housing tax by a vote of 22-8. In mid-2012, the next election saw PD drop to 24.21% and 10 seats, LN rose to 23.33% and 9 seats, M5S rose to 19.89% and 8 seats, FI rose to 17.68% and 7 seats, and SI dropped to 14.89% and 6 seats. Despite losing seats in the Chamber, Crespino was re-elected by a margin of 26-8. The new Chamber voted down a protest prohibition bill 23-8, invested in high schools, failed to pass a stamp duty in a vote of 18-13, voted 34-2 to abolish the citizen's vote, voted 31-3 to approve a robbery penalty, voted down a prostitution legalization law 16-13, subsidized arts, and failed to support press freedom. In the late 2013 general election, M5S emerged as the largst party with 24.03% of the vote and 10 seats, with LN in second with 23.15% and 9 seats, PD in third with 22.81% and 9 seats, SI in fourth with 15.24% and 6 seats, and FI in fifth with 14.76% and 6 seats. In the ensuing leadership election, M5S leader Mario Federici was elected Prime Minister 23-15, defeating Lega leader Franco Cafora. He remained in Parliament for several years, and in early 2022, Crespino was bribed to defect to the M5S, his former enemies; he later rose to be party leader in a move by the M5S to gain support from PD supporters. In 2032, after M5S abolished prime ministerial term limits, Crespino was run as their prime ministerial candidate, but he lost to Lega leader and fellow former Prime Minister Franco Alieri 47.5% to 52.5%. Political comeback After twenty years of returning to the benches, Crespino was finally elected Prime Minister with 51.6% of the popular vote, defeating Italian Left candidate Rosa Gallone, who won 48.4%. The 2033 election was a realigning election, as it led to the left becoming the majority in the Chamber again (and the only competitive forces), while it was also the first election held since the Chamber voted to halve term lengths to 25 weeks. Crespino suffered an early defeat when the Chamber voted 17-9 to abolish the luxury tax, with the Italian Left and Democrats siding with the right. The Chamber narrowly voted 13-13 to decline a bank secrecy bill which would have protected the flow of black money into politics, and it voted 16-6 to approve a stamp duty, 16-9 to abolish the agricultural subsidy, and 17-9 to abolish the "no term limits" law about prime ministerial terms. A week later, an airplane accident demoralized the country. The government successfully pushed for the Chamber to approve a land tax in a 15-10 vote, hoping to reverse the country's quick descent into a deep depression. The Chamber also brought back the Tobin tax in a 14-7 vote, but the government was unable to pass any more taxes, and Italy's rightward shift was exemplified ina referendum (with 56.1% turnout) in which 59.8% of the population rejected a stamp duty, with only 40.2% in favor. The ensuing general election saw M5S drop to 29.75% and 9 seats, LN rose to 19.42% and 6 seats, SI dropped to 18.48% and 6 seats, the PD rose to 18.31% and 5 seats, and the FI rose to 14.04% and 4 seats. The Chamber insulted Crespino one last time by rejecting a hunting regulations bill 13-13. The next presidential election saw Crespino win 52% of the vote to Alieri's 48%, but Crespino announced that his next term would be his last. Final term Crespino's last term met with disappointment for the M5S as the Chamber rejected a luxury tax 17-7, and it also rejected a bailout 16-9. Crespino was forced to bite the bullet and abolish the air pollution monitor (which he did in a 24-3 vote) in order to cut government expenditure, and the Chamber then voted 17-8 to abolish the postal service, 22-4 to abolish arts subsidies. The country was angered by an airplane accident, but Crespino went on to launch a media offensive against the rival parties and delivered a final presidential address warning the people about the dire economic situation. The ensuing general election saw M5S drop to 28.49% and 8 seats, SI rose to 20.04% and 6 seats, LN dropped to 19.88% and 6 seats, PD dropped to 16.42% and 5 seats, and FI rose to 15.17% and 5 seats. In the ensuing presidential election, new M5S leader Liliana Schiavo narrowly lost to Italian Left leader Luigi Galeante 49.5% to 50.5%, ending the M5S' comeback. Category:1984 births Category:Italian politicians Category:Italians Category:Politicians Category:Catholics Category:Democratic Party of Italy members Category:M5S members Category:Italian social democrats Category:Social democrats Category:Italian prime ministers Category:Prime ministers